Conveying apparatus



May 15, 1922s. 1,669,474

R. LA FRANCE CONVEYING APPARATUS Original Filed April 22. 1924 I azu- 1INVEN'I'EIP. H RIMMFI'GIKG W AT T'Y.

Patented May 15, 1928. I

UNITED STATES 1,669,474 PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD LA EnANcE, or ToLEno, omo, ASSIGNOR TO THE oWENs BOTTLEcomram'r,

' or ToLEno, 01:10, A CORPORATION or 01110.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

, Original application illed April 22, 1924, Serial'lTo. 708,171.Divided and this application filed April 28,

1926. Serial No. 104,040.

The present invention relates to an apparatus designed for receivingbottles, jars or other glass articles after they have been dischargedfrom a forming machine and carrying them away from the machine. Theapparatus which in this instance is shown in the form of an endless beltconveyor, may be used to transfer the articles to an annealing leer. Inthe particular form of the invention herein illustrated, the apparatusis designed for receiving and transferring a plurality of such articlesat a time, which articles are delivered from a forming machine inmultiples or groups. Such articles 18 when they are discharged from themolds of a forming machine, are soft and plastic,

and if they are permitted to come in contact with each other while insuch hot soft condition there is a tendency for them to stick :0together.

An object of the present invention is to provide practical apparatus fortransferring the bottles or other articles discharged from the molds,keeping them separated and pregs venting marring. or distortionpreliminary to and during the annealing stage, in so far as contact ofthe articles is concerned.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

This application is a division of my copending application, S. N.708,171, filed April 22,1924.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the conveyor and guiding strips thereover.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation on a larger scale, showing atensioning device for the guiding strips shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and 7 Figs. 4, 5, 6and 7 are Sectional'elevations at lines IV-,-IV, V-V, VI-VI, and

VIIVII, respectively, on Fig. 3.

The invention herein illustrated comprises a horizontal conveyor 22,which, in this instance, is of the endless belt type and may 'be used inconjunction with a primary receiving or transfer apparatus such as isdisclosed in the above identified co-pending application. Bottles arefed to the conveyor 22 by way of an inclined chute 63, which is mountedto oscillate about the axis of a vertical shaft 68 as shown in Fig. 1.Guide strips (not shown) are formed upon the chute 63 for the purpose ofpreventing contact between the several articles of a group which arebeing guided by the chute to the conveyor. As the articles leave thechute 63 and are moved horizontally upon the conveyor 22, they are keptout of contact with each other and guided along the conveyor in parallelspaced relation by means of a plurality of guide strips 66.

By reference to t'he'accompanying drawings, it will be noted that theguiding strips or ribbons 66 are mounted over the conveyor 22 and are ofsufiicient length to keep the bottles separated during their travelthrough a considerable distance, so that sufiicient cooling andhardening of the bottles is in sured before they pass beyond saidstrips. The strips 66 are preferably made'of thin sheet metal, .but maybe of other material, and are anchored at their opposite endsrespectively to transverse supporting bars and 86 mounted on the frame87 of the conveyor. Each strip 66 is provided at one end with a hook 88to engage the bar 85. Pins 89 in the hooks 88 enter corresponding holesin the bar 85 to hold the strips 66 properly spaced along said bar. Eachstrip 66 at its opposite end has secured thereto a head 90 provided witha slot 91 to receive the bar 86. An adjusting screw 92 mounted in saidhead provides a means for adjusting the tension of the strip.

The bar 86 is connected to the conveyor frame by means of rods 93 (Figs'. 2 and 3).

. Each rod has a pivotal connection 94 with the frame and extendsforward. across the end of the bar 86. The latter is formed with agroove 95 to receive the rod. A tension spring 97 is interposed betweenthe bar 86 and an adjusting nut 98 threaded on the rod. A look nut 99holds the nut 98 in adjusted position. B adjusting the nuts 98 atopposite ends 0 the bar 86, the tension on the spacing strips 66 may bead usted. The outer ends of the rods seat in bearing lugs 101, and thumbnuts 100 serve to clamp the rods in position. By loosening said nuts,

the rods can be swung out of engagement with the lugs 101 and bar 86 fordisassembling the parts.

At intermediate positions along the strips 66, bridges 102 extend acrossthe conveyor over said strips. Each bridge is provided with slots 103spaced to correspond with the conveyor, a plurality bar exten conveyor,a plurality of parallel space conveyor, means for anc their oppositeends includin a tension bar quite eiiective means have been spacing ofthe strips 66, to receive screw rods 104 attached to the strips.Adjustin nuts 105 .permit the strips to be individual y adjustedvertically. .Each of the bridge bars 102-is formed at its ends withslots 106 to receive clamping bolts 107, this construction permittingadjustment of said bars lengthwise of the conveyor.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that rovided whereby the bottles orother simi ar ware may be transferred in plastic condition from aforming machine to an annealing leer without probability of contact asbe tweenthe bottles, with the result that loss heretofore experienced,because of bottles sticking together and becoming marred or distortedbecause of such contact, is minimized;

Modifications maybe resorted to within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a traveling belt conve or, of a plurality ofstationary guides exten 'ng lengthwise of the conveyor. and arranged toprovide individual guideways along which articles on the conveyor areguided and held outv of contact with each ot er conveyor, 2. pluralit ofparallel spaced guiding strips exten ing lengthwise of the conveyor, andmeans r anchoring said strips at their op osite ends including tensioninfildevices in 'vidual to said strips.

'3. e combination of a traveling belt of parallel spaced guiding stripsexten g lengthwise of the conveyor',-means for anchoring said stripsat'their apposite ends includin a tension I ingtransversely of t econveyor to which one end of, each of the stri is connected, and meansfor holding sai bar under a spring tension and thereby applying tensionto said strips.

4. The combination of a traveling d 1 ing strips extending lengthwise ofthe onveyor, means for anchoring said stripsat their opposite endsincludin a tension bar extending transversel of e conveyor to which oneend of sac of the strips is connected, said bar mounted for movementlengthwise of the conveyor, and springs at opposite ends of the bar' iormaintaining spring tension thereon and thereby applying tension tosaidstrips.

. 5. The combination of a traveling belt conveyor, a plurali of parallelspaced guiding strips exten 'n lengthwise of the oring said strips atextending transverse] of t e conveyor to which one end of eac ,of thestrips is connected, means for holding said bar under a ;eral strips.

combination of a traveling belt- 'conve or, guiding strips of sheetmaterial ng lengthwise of the conveyor in and tensioning'devices for theguides. 2. The combination of a traveling belt belt spring tension andthereby applyin tension to said stri s, and separate means orindividually usting the tensions on the sev- '6. The

exten planes perpendicular to the conveyor and spaced. apart to provideindividual passageways along which articles on the conveyor are guided,hooks on the ends of the strips, a supporting bar extending transverselyof theconveyor to which said hooks, are anchored, and means for holdingsaid hooks against movement along the supporting bar to thereby hold thestrips in spaced relation.

7. The combination of a traveling belt conveyor, guiding strips of sheetmaterial extending lengthwise of the conveyor in planes perpendicular tothe conveyor and spaced apart to provide individual passageways alongwhich articles on the conveyor are.guided, hooks on the ends ofthe'strips, supporting means for the strips at op osite ends thereof, saidsupporting means spaced above the strips and connected thereto by saidhooks, a bridgeextending transversely of the conveyor at a positioninter mediate the ends of the strips, and means slidably connected tosaid bridge for supporting said strips and holding them in position; Y

8. The combination of a traveling belt conveyor, guiding strips of sheetmaterial extending 'en hwise of the conveyor in planes perpen icular tothe conveyor and spaced apart to provide individual passageways alonwhich articles on the conveyor ing are guide hooks on the ends of thestrips,

supporting means for the strips atopposite ends thereof, a bridgeextending transverse- 1y of the conveyor at a position intermediate t eends of the strips, and individual connecting devices between the stripsandsaid bridge for supporting the strips.

9. The combination of a traveling belt conve or, guiding strips of sheetmaterial exten ing lengthwise of the conveyor in planes perpendicular tothe conveyor and spaced apart to provide individual passageways aliziigwhich articles on the conveyor are guid hooks on the ends of the strips,su porting means for the strips at opposite en s thereof, a bridgeextending transverse- 1y of the conveyor at a position intermediate t 0ends of the strips, individual connecting devices between the strips andsaid bridge for supporting the stripaand means 'for individua y adusting said connecting devices and thereby adjusting the strips.to-'ward or from the conveyor. 1

uo in no r 10. The combination of a traveling conspaced guidveyoraplurali of. parallel,

lengthwise of the'coning strips extending veyor,- mean;

for anchoring said strips attheir opposite ends including a tension barextending transversely of t e conveyor to which one end of each of thestrips is connected, means for maintaining the other ends of the stripsin fixed spaced relation, and means for-adjusting said barlongitudinally of the conveyor to apply varying degrees of tension tosaid strips.

11. The combination of a traveling belt conveyor, a plurality ofstationary guiding strips extending lengthwise of the conveyor, meansfor anchoring said strips at their opposite ends, means for supportingportions of the strips intermediate their ends, and connections betweenthe strips and the intermediate supportin means permitting relativelongitudinal s iding movement therebetween.

12. The combination of a traveling conveyor, a plurality of stationaryguiding strips extending lengthwise of the conveyor,

means for anchoring said strips at their op posits ends, and independentadjustable means for supporting portions of each strip intermediate itsends.

13. The combination of a traveling conveyor, a plurality of stationaryguides extending len thwise of, the conveyor, means forsupportm the endsof the guides'out of contact witii each other and the conveyor,additional means for supporting portions intermediate the ends of theguides out of contact with each other and the conveyor,

and connections between the guides and additional supporting meanspermitting relative longitudinal sliding movement therebetween.

14. The combination of a traveling con-- veyor, a plurality ofstationary guides extending lengthwise of the conveyor, means forsupporting the ends of the guides out ofof the conveyor, means foranchoring the stripsat their opposite ends including a bar extendingtransversely of the conveyor, and

frame to which one end of each strip is connected, yieldable separableconnections" between the ends of the bar and said supporting frame, andmeans for varying the yieldability of. the connections.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 21stday of April,

RICHAKIRD LA FRANCE.

